Three traffic accidents on Wednesday have claimed 18 lives and injured 34 others in China.

All the injured are in a stable condition, according to local governments.

A bus drove off a 90-meter cliff in Ankang City in northwestern Shaanxi Province at about 10 AM on Wednesday, killing six passengers and injuring 13, said Peng Xuejun, an official with the city's public security bureau.

Peng said the bus driver is to blame for the accident.

Later that day, a truck and a minibus collided in the county of Hanshan, eastern Anhui Province, killing five people, including four high school teachers. Two were injured.

The truck, carrying at least eight tons of sands, hit the minibus and the load of sands was dumped on the passenger vehicle.

The third tragedy, in the city of Sanming, southeastern Fujian Province, occurred at 6 PM Wednesday when a bus overturned on its way to central China's Hubei Province. Six passengers were killed and 19 others were injured.

The accidents are being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2006)